


Eclipse

by chartreuseblueandyellow



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Rewrite of 5x03, is anyone surprised by this?, once again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28337034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chartreuseblueandyellow/pseuds/chartreuseblueandyellow
Summary: Even though he’d had to break Morty and had missed seeing the eclipse, Mac felt… happy. He felt happy, and content, and at peace and he knew that it had everything to do with spending a relaxing day with Riley.
Relationships: Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 56





	Eclipse

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s my thing. Honestly I’m not that annoyed about the macriley baiting, u gotta do what u gotta do, but what I am annoyed about is Mac and Desi in this ep. There’s basically no trust between them and SO MANY unresolved issues that they haven’t really talked about, but sure, they’re now a perfect happy couple?  
> Anyways, because of that, this isn’t going to be a lovey-dovey macriley fic but, what I think, Mac’s thoughts about everything happening around him should be. 
> 
> This is a new layout of fic for me, it’s basically rewriting the entire ep with a lot of the actual dialogue in it, so lemme know what you guys think!  
> Enjoy :)

Mac had faced _many_ impossible tasks before, tasks which ordinary civilians would never believe. And even though the task he was facing right now was mundane, it ranked just as high as a lot of the ones he had faced during missions.  
It was taking _everything_ in him to control his facial expressions. 

He got into the car, ignoring both Desi and Bozer’s gaze drilling into him, Desi’s feeling slightly more accusing. He was also aware of the fact that Riley was acting completely normal while it was taking everything in him to do the same. Clearly she wasn’t as affected as he was by all this  
Even though he’d had to break Morty and had missed seeing the eclipse, Mac felt… happy. He felt happy, and content, and at peace and he knew that it had everything to do with spending a relaxing day with Riley. 

The ride back to Phoenix was made in silence but his mind was still in that park. He had not needed to put his face so close to Riley’s but he’d wanted to. He hadn’t needed to put his arms around Riley and pull her to the ground tight against him, but it had felt right in the moment and he hadn’t been able to stop himself. His face had been pressed right against the crook of her neck and he had not been able to stop himself from inhaling her scent.  
And when one of her hands had fluttered to the hand he’d wrapped around her and she’d wrapped her other one around his wrist that he’d laid against her chest, Mac hadn’t been able to help the fluttering in his chest and the grin on his face.  
And while Mac had been soaking in her presence wrapped up in his arms, she’d been doing what he _should’ve_ been doing and keeping an eye on Josephine. 

He’d loved every single moment of it, and he knew it was more than just enjoying time with a friend. His and Riley’s relationship felt like it was changing, but he wasn’t sure if it was for the both of them or just him.  
Their arrival at Phoenix pulled him out of his thoughts. 

After seeing Josephine into custody, he, Riley, Bozer and Desi headed over to his place, and while the girls were outside, he and Bozer were in the kitchen fixing up snacks. Laughter drew his attention to the window and he watched as Desi and Riley seemed to be playing around.  
Why did he suddenly feel so… uncomfortable… watching the two of them act like giggling best friends? Wasn’t that a good thing?

Bozer must've had some idea of where his mind was at because he said, “those two have been bonding lately,” and at the noise he made in response, he spoke with a slightly incredulous tone.  
“What, you’d prefer they were barely speaking to each other?”

“No of course not. It’s just that Desi has plenty of time for Riley, but no time to talk with me.”  
And it was true. A few times Mac had tried to meet up with Desi because he knew they should really have their long overdue talk about everything that had happened with Codex and during the 10 month break. 

Bozer gave him a sympathetic look.  
“You need to fix this.” 

Mac was surprised. Bozer wanted him to get back together with Desi? Why did he have a feeling the opposite was true? A while back he definitely would’ve tried, but now… now he wasn’t so sure.  
“I don’t know if I’m going to get back together with Desi, Boze.”

He shook his head.  
“Fixing it doesn’t mean getting back together. It means clearing the air and figuring out where you both stand.”  
Mac nodded, that made more sense, and it was his plan. Bozer continued.  
“You need to do that so you can… move on.”

Mac’s brows furrowed. Was there a deeper meaning in Bozer’s words? He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Even if there was, Bozer was right. He and Desi needed to clear the air.  
Bozer’s sudden exclamation roused him from his thoughts and he followed him outside and laughed as Bozer became territorial over the barbecue. Riley and Bozer stayed by the cooking which he kind of wished they hadn’t because it was slightly awkward with just him and Desi. 

Deciding to take Bozer’s advice, he cleared his throat, and Desi’s gaze snapped from the bowl of chips to him.  
“We should uh… we should talk.”  
She slightly raised her eyebrow, and slightly annoyed she wasn’t saying anything, Mac added, “to sort out what’s happening… with us…”  
She stayed silent, the awkward silence only growing, but just as she opened her mouth to reply, Russ called and Mac decided that he had never been happier to hear the Englishman’s voice.  
Obviously that happiness was short lived as they realised he was in danger, saw his wrecked car, and heard the phone call. 

The feeling of dread building up in him as they went to talk to Andrews, Mac couldn’t help but talk about his father, Murdoc and Helman when Desi asked what was wrong. When he remembered that he and his father had gone fishing and that it had gone great even though things between them had been slightly tense at the start, Mac felt that a change of scenery could work well with his and Desi’s, what would probably be awkward, talk.  
“So what do you say? After this is done, we go fishing and talk about everything?”

Desi looked at him and then turned back to the road, saying, “I dunno Mac, fishing isn’t really my thing.”  
He resisted the urge to sigh. Why was she making this so difficult?  
But at the mention of fishing, he couldn’t help but remember the time when he, Riley and Jack had gone. It had been a relaxing day full of laughs, friendly competitions, and Jack being Jack.  
Even if Desi had agreed, Mac didn’t think he’d be able to get that same atmosphere with her so, putting it out of mind, he tried to focus back on the mission at hand. 

Safe to say, that unlike most criminals, Andrews wasn’t the happiest to be broken out of prison and kept complaining.  
“… Instead you knock me out and kidnap me?”

“Well, that's kind of his specialty.”

His head snapped to Desi.  
“What?”

She refused to meet his gaze.  
“It's a compliment, okay? You're good at knocking people unconscious.”

 _Clearly_ it wasn't that simple.  
“I thought you forgave me. Is that why you say no to meeting up with me?”

“No, I did forgive you. I just don't like fishing.”  
_Sure_. That's what it was. He didn't know why he was surprised, because recently, a lot of their arguments seemed to come back to that moment. 

His reply was cut off by Andrews who, infuriatingly, saw the need to give his two cents worth.  
“Oh, you betrayed her. Oh, betrayal is a difficult one to forgive.”

 _Ugh_ this guy was annoying. He and Desi had to talk things out, there was _so much_ left unsaid, and Andrews was _not_ making it easier. Andrews kept talking but Mac did his best to ignore him. 

Roman being alive meant one thing.  
They were going to have to deal with Codex again.  
The memories flashed through his head. His dad dying. Knocking out Desi and Russ. The missile. His aunt dying. And those were only the highlights.  
This was shaping up to be an even worse day than he had imagined. 

The FBI vehicle was approaching and Mac needed to think of a way to hide their faces, fast. If he and Desi were still together, he might’ve kissed her, but he found that only did he not want to, he couldn’t make himself do it in order to keep them hidden.  
No time for some big plan, he just grabbed her arm, pulling her down with him, and they crouched behind the car. She glared at him and in a whisper said, “hiding? This is your genius plan?”

He didn’t reply, but as the FBI car drove past, he stood up while saying, “well, it worked didn’t it?”

The moment of relief was short lived however as they realised Andrews had escaped. They chased after him, but when Mac saw where he stopped, he immediately yelled.  
“Stop, stop! Don't move, don't move! No, seriously, stop. Stop. Don't move. I don't even know how you made it that far, but look, you see that downed wire? It could still kill you, even if you don't touch it. When you step, if your feet land in different voltages, the step differential will kill you.”

"What?"

He was about to translate that into 'normal speak' when Desi said, "the long way of saying, do not pick up your feet."

"I... I will pick up my feet unless you promise to take me back to prison. I mean it. I'll end it here."

Dealing with Andrews felt like dealing with a child at times.  
"I promise, we're gonna take you back. Once we get Taylor, we're gonna send you right back to jail. I'm not gifting a weapon like you to Codex. Trust me."

"Trust you?! How can I? You kidnapped me to take me to the brother who betrayed me. And your rageaholic girlfriend keeps threatening my life."

"I vote we let him fry."  
He turned around and glared at Desi. Really? Could she at least _try_ and be helpful in this situation? She just shrugged.  
"What? They didn't say he needed to be alive."

Did she not get it?  
"If he dies, Taylor dies. Codex wins."

“You care more about Codex than you do saving your friend's life.” 

“Wouldn't be the first time.”

Mac’s head snapped to her.  
“Des!”  
Seriously, was she doing this now?! With an ex-deadly assassin threatening to kill himself with the voltage around him, now was _not_ the best time to bring up this never ending argument they had going on between them. 

Before he could say anything, Andrews spoke up again.  
“Sorry. How can I believe you won't betray me, a stranger, as you did the woman you love?”

Cared for? Yes.  
Loved? Mac wasn’t too sure about that.  
But if going along with Andrews would help make him listen to them and keep him alive, Mac was willing to go along with it.  
“You know what? You're actually right. In my pursuit of Codex, I lost my way, and… I did anything to defeat them, even sacrificed the woman I… care for -” he couldn’t bring himself to say love, “but if you've taught me anything today, Eric, it's that even the most lost of souls can find their way back to the light.”  
And at that, he couldn’t help the picture of Riley that popped up in his mind, she always seemed to be his grounding force, helping him back into the light when he needed it. He quickly shook it off. Now was not the time to think about Riley.  
“So, if you give me this chance, I'd like to prove to you that I won't make the same mistake twice.”

There was a long pause, Mac worried that his heartfelt speech wasn’t going to be enough, but then Andrews said, “all right.”

After Desi reluctantly promised no more death threats, Andrews let them help him and they were soon on their way to get Russ.

Safe to say that, while they got Russ back, things didn't go exactly to plan, and Mac knew, without a doubt, that Andrews was going to be a huge thorn in their sides soon. He couldn't do anything about it right now though, so instead he grinned at Russ' reluctant apology and laughed at Boze asking him for a raise. 

Russ started walking away, ignoring Bozer's insistence that he could afford it, and instead said, “let's skedaddle and leave these two lovebirds to discuss the date that Desi's been avoiding.”

Mac’s grin suddenly faded. Talking with Desi to sort out what was happening between them was fine but a date? He found that he didn't really want to. Everyone else seemed to agree with Russ though because, obviously other than Desi, they started leaving. 

Riley walked past and, smiling at him, said, “don’t screw it up this time.”  
Mac managed a weak smile in response as she walked off, but the first thought in his mind was that he didn’t want there to be a ‘ _this time_ ’ with Desi. They had tried, failed, tried again, and failed again, and frankly Mac’s feelings for Desi had faded away to the point where he didn’t even think it was worth it trying again.

He wrung his hands, now that the time had come to actually talk, he wasn't sure what to say. Desi saw right through him.  
"Tell me."

He gave her a sad smile and, before he even said a word, he could tell she knew exactly what he was about to say.  
"I think we have to… stop… whatever it is we're doing right now. Like I'm not sure whether we're still dating or not, but I… I don't think we should." 

To Desi's credit, she had no huge reaction, maybe she saw this coming, but then her brows furrowed as she looked at him with confusion.  
“But weren’t you trying to ask me on dates the whole day?”

He was sure he had the same look of confusion because _at what point today had he asked her out on a date?_  
But then he paused, thinking about it from her point of view, and realised that his attempt for their talk to happen in a change of scenery could be interpreted as dates. He gave a small laugh and shook his head.  
“Uh… no. I was actually just thinking that a change in our surroundings could make our talk go easier."

Desi paused then smiled, shaking her head, not seeming too surprised at his awkward attempts at making things go smoother.  
It then faded and she slowly looked at him.  
"Okay. I think… I think we've tried to make this work for a while and I think… I agree with you." 

He gave her a sad smile. He was glad she agreed, and clearly it was time, but it was the end of a chapter and he couldn't help but feel that.

There was a short silence, then Desi spoke, her voice soft.  
“This feels final. Definitely more so than the last times.”  
He nodded, he felt the same.  
“Can I ask what brought it on? Like why now?”

Riley’s face instantly flashed into his mind, but he shook it off, knowing it wasn’t that simple. It was more the qualities of Riley, that Desi didn’t have, that solidified his decision to finally end things now. Riley implicitly trusted him and he felt the same about her. As hard as he tried, he just didn't have that with Desi.

“I know we both tried, but we just can’t seem to make it work. We only seem to be stable when the worlds going to shit, and that’s no way to have a relationship. Also, I know we apologised about it, but the whole Codex situation proved that you don’t implicitly trust me and my judgements,” and seeing that she was about to argue back, he quickly added, “and that I don’t fully trust you or your judgements either.”

She stayed quiet. Though they both wished it wasn’t true, it was. He continued.  
“And I know that trust is something that’s built over time, and while I do think that’s true, if our… if our values, and our approach on how we react to things are different, then it’s much harder to build that foundation.”  
She started to say something, but needing to prove his point, he interrupted.  
“Let me ask you something,” she nodded. “With the Codex situation, If I was in that same position again, I would do the exact same thing, no doubt about it. What about you? Would you do anything different?”

Desi paused, considering her answer. She could tell he was genuinely asking and so made sure she actually thought her answer through. She slowly shook her head.  
“No. I think I would do exactly what I had done before as well.”

Mac nodded, her words only confirming what he had suspected.  
“And that’s okay. We’re all different and are bound to clash on our differences, and for co-workers or friends I think that’s fine, but -” he gave her a sad smile, “- I also think that’s too big of a difference for us to actually get back together again and have a trusting, stable relationship.”

Desi sadly smiled and nodded.  
“I know.”  
There was a moment of silence, both of them feeling the finality of their relationship, and after a while Desi cleared her throat.  
“How about we go grab a drink, and celebrate the end of our relationship?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. Leave it to Desi to celebrate their break up.  
“Yeah okay. Why not?”

They walked out, the mood between them suddenly much lighter now that they had officially broken up, and he was grateful for it.


End file.
